In addition to conventional bandages, adhesive means, compresses and the like which are applied with pressure directly against a bleeding open wound, considerable effort has been directed toward the development of chemical agents in various forms that accelerate or enhance the coagulation of blood flowing from an open wound to arrest blood flow. Many of these agents are in the “clotting chain,” i.e., fibrinogen, thrombin, Factor VIII and the like. Others are based upon the use of collagens. Edwardson, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,763,411, 5,804,428, and 5,962,026, for example, teaches the use of fibrin in conjunction with a solid support and as an enzyme free sealant, and as a solid composition substantially free of catalytic enzymes.
Several patents disclose compositions that promote wound healing in conjunction with a clotting component, including Martin, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,692,302, 5,874,479, and 5,981,606; Stillwell, U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,913, and Winter et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,782. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,163,588, Cornish teaches a wound pad having very fine fibers carrying a viscous agent and a styptic for arresting and clotting blood flow. Eberl et al, U.S. Pat. No. 2,688,586, teach an improved hemostatic surgical dressing with alginic acid as a clotting agent. Masci et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,772,999 and 2,773,000, also teach hemostatic surgical dressing including a pad and free acid cellulose glycolic acid. A patent for another hemostatic wound dressing is taught by Shelley in U.S. Pat. No. 3,206,361 having an active agent in the form of methylaminoacetocatechol hydrochloride. Likewise, Anderson, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,328,259, discloses a wound dressing containing a film of cellulose glycolic acid ether as the hemostatic agent.
A multitude of other patents, for example Sugitachi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,233, teach various ready-to-use bandages, pads or other carrying agents containing a hemostatic agents, including Factor VIII, fibrin, thrombin, collagen, polyethylene oxide, epsilon aminocaproic acid (EACA) with calcium chloride, etc. Sakamoto teaches in U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,211 a carrier in the shape of a flake or fiber having thrombin and Factor XIII affixed thereto.
Other patents disclose various fibers capable of inducing clotting. For example, Shimizu et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,372 teaches absorbable acetocollagen fibers, while Bell, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,372, discloses a dressing made of microfibrillar collagen and a superabsorbant polymer for blood absorption and clotting inducement. U.S. Pat. No. 6,521,265 to Patterson and U.S. Pat. No. 6,187,347 to Patterson et al. disclose an admixture of salt ferrate with a cation exchange material that, when hydrated results in the concentration of blood and reduction of Fe+6 to Fe+++ to induce clotting.
Published U.S. application No. 20030008011 discloses acid forms of cross-linked polyacrylic acid with polyvinyl alcohol that forms a gel for stopping minor bleeding. Published U.S. application No. 20050137512 discloses a compressed sponge for hemorrhage control made by freeze drying a composition of polyacrylic acid.